Like Magic
by SakuraNights01
Summary: In the midst of working on a murder case for 24 hours straight, Conan is finally set to rights when Kaitou Kid uses his magic.


**Guys plz. I need Kaito and Shinichi friendship fics in order to live. I'm drowing in romantic stories. My little FriendShip raft can't take anymore abuse. :'D**

 **But seriously, I do love friendship fics, and would love to read more, if you guys have any recommendations! For now, I'll keep writing stories, myself. Enjoy!**

* * *

Conan shuddered and pulled his coat a little bit tighter when a sudden cold breeze blew by. He hadn't anticipated coming out this evening, given the biting winter weather they'd been experiencing lately. Granted, the snow had stopped falling several hours ago, but these were not ideal conditions for a detective to work in.

He sat poised near the edge of the rooftop, cross-legged and slouched forward, his head resting heavily on one hand while the other hand held the file in place on his lap, preventing it from being blown away.

He had reviewed the case log again.

And again.

And again.

Yet he could draw no decisive evidence, no conclusions from what information he had. Like an incomplete puzzle, he just needed one more piece of information; the case was as good as solved, if not for that incredibly irritating factor. He'd spent the entirety of last night and today thinking it over and playing the scene out in his head. So much so, he wondered if it was possible to sustain a concussion from thinking too hard.

"Tell me then, Mini-Detective, is _this_ your card?"

And then there was this particular nuisance.

Not unlike many times in the past, the infamous magician thief, Kaitou Kid, had summoned for him to meet outside around midnight, this time on the rooftop of the Mouri Detective Agency building. Normally, he had a purpose for calling him out, and it was obvious what he wanted to say or do. But tonight, it seemed he was only interested in irritating Conan more than usual. He was busy, dammit!

Without looking up from the case files, he muttered a quick "yeah" and continued reading the text-littered pages, stopping briefly to rub his sore, tired eyes.

"You aren't even paying attention," Kid pouted, then slipped the 4 of Spades playing card back into the deck. He quickly shuffled them, then fanned the cards out and offered for Conan to pick out another. Conan selected a card and immediately shoved it back into the deck without sparing it even a glance. Kid deadpanned before sighing.

"You're no fun."

"And you're bothering me. Let me work."

"I say you're working too hard, thinking too much," Kid replied whimsically, tapping on his forehead under his hat. "It might do you some good to take a break, then get back to it later." The shrunken teen finally looked away from his papers and glared up at Kid.

"What are you now, my babysitter?" Conan shot back incredulously. "May I remind you that someone was _murdered_ last night? A family is torn apart over this, innocent people might be sent to jail, and you're telling me to take a break?"

"Precisely!" At the disbelieving silence that followed, Kid continued, "the way I see it, you've been working on this case all day long. A few minutes of looking at the same mass of words over and over will not make anything change faster, so you might as well use it to rest."

Conan stared, unimpressed, before groaning deeply and flipping the case file shut.

"You have a point. But I have to admit, I didn't expect such a heartless statement to come out of you." Kid chuckled, then pulled his legs up from where they'd been swinging freely off the edge of the roof and crossed them as he turned to face Conan better.

"You call it 'heartless', but I call it 'wise'. Now let me provide some entertainment to take your mind off of work."

"You're doing magic tricks?" Conan scoffed. "A terrible way to entertain me, of all people. You and I both know I'll be too busy analyzing everything you do to give my mind a rest."

"Then don't think about it! Or rather, believe that it's true magic in your mind, and accept that."

"Hm… easier said than done," Conan replied as he sat back to relax, "but I will try. Go ahead then."

Kid smirked, then put on his best stage voice.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! I welcome you to a most dazzling and wonderful magic show, 'pon this snowy evening!" He tipped his hat and paused, waiting until Conan clapped awkwardly before continuing. "Be ready for a night filled with relaxation, information, and otherworldly spells beyond your imagination!"

"Should I start readying my tomatoes now or later?" Conan interjected with a sly grin.

"Tsk tsk, Mini-Detective. Acting on impulse was never your strong suit."

"And how would you know anything about tha-"

"For my first trick, I will need a volunteer!" he interrupted, then, shading his eyes, he looked out upon an imaginary crowd. "I sense a magical presence around here somewhere! But where?" Conan watched for a moment before sighing and raising his hand unenthusiastically.

"Me, me, oh _please_ pick me."

"Ah-hah! There's my magical volunteer! Thank you for finally revealing yourself to me!"

"Yawn."

"For this trick, I will ask that you take one card, look upon its design, then return it to the deck without telling me what you've seen." A deck of cards appeared in his hands with a puff of smoke, and he began shuffling them.

"Again with the cards? I thought you might try something different..."

Conan watched as Kid shuffled the cards, then began paying closer attention to him.

"Habitual," Conan finally murmured after a period of silence. Kid's shuffling faltered as he glanced up in confusion.

"Huh?"

"Er, sorry," he said, feeling somewhat guilty for the interruption. "But as talented a magician as you are, I can tell the card shuffling is more than just for show. It's practiced. Almost too practiced. The relaxed wrists, that almost unnoticeable furrow in your brow, the small hunch in your shoulders… you shuffle cards often when you're in deep thought, I presume." Kid stared in awe for a second before resuming his shuffling with a small smile.

"Leave it to my greatest critic to glean that much information from body language alone. I'll be keeping my guard up around you even more now." He straightened the stack of cards, then fanned them out for his volunteer. "But you're over-analyzing again. Learn to relax a little, and just pick a card."

Conan plucked out a card, revealing a King of Diamonds, then gently slipped it back into the center of the deck. Kid shuffled the cards briefly before making the stack disappear altogether.

"Wha- aren't you going to finish the trick?" the confused detective asked. Kid merely winked, then reached behind Conan's ear, pulling back to show him a dove, perched on his finger.

"Patience. You'll get what you want in due time."

The dove disappeared in a puff of smoke, and in its place, Kid twirled Conan's glasses around his index finger.

"Hey! How did you-!" He swiped the glasses away and shoved them back onto his face. "Don't mess with me!"

"Forgive me, I couldn't help myself!" Kid laughed. He then rubbed his hands together and pulled a large blanket from thin air. The blanket was tossed into the air and landed over both of their heads, obscuring their vision entirely.

"Alright, my little assistant, I need you to close your eyes and think of my dominant color, while I will think of yours."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"What color do you think of when you hear my name?"

Conan complied and closed his eyes, picturing only the color white.

"Three, two, one!" A slight rusting could be heard, and a second later the blanket was flung off. Conan opened his eyes and was stunned to find that Kid's outfit - hat, tie, and all - had been changed to a dark blue color. And his own coat, suit, and even bow tie were now a pristine white.

"What the…?" he murmured as he turn his arms this way and that while examining the sleeves. He heard Kid chuckle, and glanced up for an explanation.

"Magic," Kid said simply with a wink and a wag of his index finger.

"This better not be permanent. Ran and Professor Agasa will kill me…."

"Not to worry, Mini-Detective!" Tossing the blanket over their heads once more, the rustling and a countdown were heard again. Upon its removal, their clothes had returned to their normal colors. Conan breathed out a sigh of relief, then began thinking of all the ways it might've been done. It must have shown on his face, though, as he caught an odd look from Kid. Forcing down his usual inquisitive nature, he shook himself out of his reverie and turned his attention back to the impromptu show. The magician watched him for a moment before tossing the blanket around Conan's shoulders.

"You look a little chilly," was all he said.

"...Thank you."

Conan wasn't about to complain - it WAS cold outside. It was easy to forget about the bitter weather when one was in the presence of such talent, irritating as he normally was.

He had to admit, this wasn't an unwelcome change of pace. If he were being perfectly honest with himself, he desperately yearned for a break. Just a small break from this whole damn case. Strong as his sense of justice and search for the truth were, he was only human, and loathingly wished the case could be solved already so he could sleep peacefully. The magic show, though unexpected, was as close to a break as he'd been willing to shell out for himself, if only because it was somehow thrust upon him without so much as a fight. And it shocked him, too, that on a good day, he would put up at least twice the amount of resistance, would have dug in his heels to avoid just such a distraction. But this time, he could have cared less. Perhaps his brain and his heart were, for once, working together to team up against him and his usually better judgement. Or something mystical had been cast, and, as though he were under a spell, he was bound to it.

Like magic, he was captured, and he followed it wordlessly.

Suddenly troubled, Conan pulled the blanket a little tighter around himself. Considering his next words briefly, he finally bit the bullet and asked "why are you doing this?"

"Hm…" Kid hummed thoughtfully. With a flick of his wrist, the deck of cards from before reappeared in his right hand, and with his left hand, he gently rubbed his index finger just under his nose. "You could say a little bird told me… or rather, didn't _tell_ me, but sobbed loud enough for me to hear. You've been neglecting meals and sleep over this case, apparently, so the bird wished for a resolution." He shrugged carelessly, like he was discussing something as simple as the weather. "Though I don't think it was her intention to summon for me, though. Regardless, I thought maybe my specialty might help you slow down for a bit, even a little."

"...Her?" Conan's mind latched onto the word; there was only one person who would fret about him so much. And apparently, it was enough to catch an internationally wanted thief's attention. He knew his dearest Ran was incredibly upset that he stayed up all night, then subsequently skipped all meals just to study the case more. He had become distracted; long had it been since he was introduced to a murder case that boggled even his sharp mind. He wanted to please her, yet his love for a challenge had ultimately won the internal battle.

Conan was completely unaware of the grief he had caused.

"...If you had told me about that sooner, I might've just listened from the start, you know," Conan slumped forward, feeling oddly drained, both physically and emotionally. Kid's face fell slightly with sympathy, and he opened his mouth as though to speak, but ultimately decided against it. He shuffled the deck for a moment - unintentionally, Conan caught onto the subtle signs of deep thought again - then made all except for one disappear.

"I believe this is your card," Kid spoke carefully, holding up the King of Diamonds from before. Conan stared at it, then chuckled and shook his head.

"Of course it is. A trick like that is elementary."

"Indeed. In fact, most tricks are," Kid brought the card close to his lips. "Well, for _me_ , anyways." Sensing a point of interest, Conan looked to him quizzically.

"You see," the magician continued, "detective work and magic tricks, I consider to be similar in more ways than one. Do you think I put on a show unprepared?" The shrunken teen could only curiously watch, unsure of where this conversation was going, but at the same time unwilling to interrupt. "I have every bit of information, every piece of the puzzle that I need to make things work. To make that perfect _click_ happen. The 'ah-ha!' moment, if you will. I am able to do what I do because I have come prepared for this show, but missing any piece, no matter how small, would be detrimental. Regardless of who I need to obtain assistance from, I will ask until I have my completed set."

"...Where are you going with this?" Conan spoke cautiously. Kid poised his other hand to flick the card that was held only inches from his face.

"I'm saying, though you've done everything you can to solve this case, the answer still remains out of reach. So, do not be afraid to rest, and do not be afraid to ask for help. Okay?"

Conan nodded his head once, not breaking his gaze. The magician smiled, then drew in a deep breath and blew onto the card sharply, briefly. He flicked it once and, in the blink of an eye, the card changed to a photograph, complete with a date and timestamp, and Kid offered it to him. Conan didn't bother trying to figure out how that trick had been done - his eyes honed in on the photo that was presented to him. It appeared to be a security photo of some sort. Though somewhat low quality, the image still showed, clear as day, how and when the murderer broke into the victim's home. It only made sense now, that the heavy snowfall that had occurred 15 minutes after the crime had been enough to cover the man's tracks entirely (though, upon inspecting the crime scene, Conan had noted the uneven yet smooth formation of snow atop the brick wall that this photo now showed the man had, in fact, climbed over).

"H-how did you get this..? Where..?" Conan could barely speak, his mind suddenly racing a mile a minute as every piece of the case suddenly fell oh-so-beautifully into place.

"You'd be surprised at what I find while scoping out areas near my potential heist locations." Conan gave him a strange look. "Helps with map-making and escape routes. What can I say?"

"Why not give this to me from the start? Why the run-around?" The detective, though overpowered by the glorious feeling of triumph, couldn't help the small twinge of betrayal he felt. Kid leaned back on his hands and sighed quietly.

"We're very much alike, you and I. When we get deeply involved with something, the rest of the world gets blurred out. It's easy to forget our own health…" Kid gave him a pointed look, "or other people's feelings." Conan couldn't help but wince at the reproach, and the magician gave him a friendly smile. "I feared giving you the final piece to your mystery would push you over the edge. I needed to direct your attention away from the case, even for just a few minutes, to bring you back down to Earth."

"...Ran _did_ always say that I would get into trouble if I got too in over my head. I'll apologize to her later," he stowed the photograph in his coat pocket, "and I have to thank you for your help again. You've saved me a great deal far too many times." Conan's own smile turned into a frown as he noticed the toothy grin on Kid's face. "But don't even think about getting a big head over this! I'll get one over you soon, and then you'll be sorry!"

"Sure, sure," Kid raised his hands in surrender, then climbed to his feet gracefully. "Just remember, more than just Miss Mouri and your friends care about your well-being. After all, where would my heists go if my favorite little critic wasn't healthy enough to be around, hmm?"

"I can't tell if you're being facetious or not," Conan remarked. He stood up as well, and Kid's hang glider popped out as he prepared to leave. The magician took a few steps backwards away from the edge.

"Well, that's for you to decide, now isn't it?" was the only reply he received before Kid took a running start and leapt off the building, quickly disappearing from view amongst the buildings and night sky. He looked out in the distance in his direction for a moment before a sudden wave of exhaustion nearly overtook him and he wavered where he stood. He grasped at the phone in his pocket, ready to call Inspector Megure with the new information. But as Kaitou Kid's words reverberated through his mind, he instead turned himself around and climbed down the rooftop ladder, dragging himself to bed as he did.

"I hate it when he's right," was all he could think to say to himself as he drifted off to sleep.


End file.
